BUCK BELUE: Georgia thinking of a championship

Writes Belue: “The big question is whether they can match up with Alabama or LSU. Beat the bully? The ’Dogs fell short last season.”

Read all Buck Belue’s columns at savannahnow.com/sports

Scobee signs

with Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee has signed a four-year contract worth between $13.8 million and $14.2 million, making him one of the NFL’s highest-paid kickers.

Scobee signed the deal Monday, about two hours before the NFL’s deadline to sign franchise players to long-term contracts. Had Scobee and the team not reached an agreement by 4 p.m., the veteran kicker likely would have signed a one-year tender worth $2.88 million.

The deal is worth $3.45 million annually, with $4.75 million guaranteed. There are $400,000 worth of incentives Scobee could reach.

Oakland’s Sebastian Janikowski ($4 million annually) and Phil Dawson ($3.81 million) are the only kickers scheduled to make more than Scobee in 2012. His new deal tops recent ones signed by Tampa Bay’s Connor Barth ($3.3 million) and Denver’s Matt Prater ($3.25 million).

LOCAL

SMN sports

wins 12 awards

The Savannah Morning News won 12 awards, including four first-place awards for writing in the annual Georgia Sports Writers’ Association newspaper contest.

Nathan Dominitz won two first-place awards, one for a story on Shannon Sharpe being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and one for a feature on body builder Chris Bacon.

Dominitz also won two second-place awards, one in outdoors writing and one in the Best Sports News Story on Deadline category.

Don Heath won a first-place award for a story on deer hunters using bait to attract deer and second-place awards in Amateur Non-scholastic writing and high school event coverage, and a third-place award in Amateur Non-scholastic writing.

Dennis Knight took first place in high school event coverage for a story on Savannah Christian.

The Morning Sports took third place in the Best Section and Sunday Section contests, and second place in the Best Special Section contest for its annual football section.